Holiday recycling hits Haywood

Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans throw away 25 percent more trash than any other time of the year, which amounts to 25 million tons of trash. Following are some tips on how to reduce waste and consider energy efficiency this holiday season:

• Recycle your live Christmas trees. The Haywood County Materials Recovery Facility will accept one Christmas tree per household free of charge. Please make sure all lights, tinsel and decorations are removed. Trees from commercial businesses must be disposed of at White Oak Landfill for a fee.

• Rechargeable batteries and a battery charger are great ways to cut down on battery consumption. If you don’t use rechargeable batteries, remember you can recycle old batteries at any Haywood County Convenience Center.

• If you get new TVs or other electronics for Christmas, don’t toss out your old ones. They’re recyclable at the Haywood County Materials Recovery Facility.

• If every family in the United States reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the world.

• Remove your name from mailing lists of most catalogs you no longer wish to receive. Eliminate unwanted credit offers by calling 1.888.5OptOut (1.888.567.8688) or visiting www.optoutprescreen.com .

• If you received packages that contain foam peanuts, return them to local packaging stores. Most will accept them, but call ahead to make sure.

To find out more about recycling in Haywood County, and for links to other great information on recycling and sustainability, visit the county website, www.haywoodnc.net, or contact the Haywood County Solid Waste Department at 828.627.8042.